


shipbuilding

by came0s



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Poetry, Series 3, Series 3 Speculation, Spoilers, shipbuilding, sorta lmao, sorta? lol idk, this is kinda morbid lbr, tw death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 02:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3633852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/came0s/pseuds/came0s
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the reality of captain athos' preparations for war come to light ;; what it means to be a boy / what it means to be a man / what it means to be a C A P T A I N ----  { & actions finally fruit their consequences }</p>
            </blockquote>





	shipbuilding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dory/gifts).



> listen to : shipbuilding, elvis costello

it’s heavy, he knows :

the weight of reality  
the weight of truth  
the weight of their actions finally bringing consequences

& athos feels it ----

feels the same wrench pull his own stomach,  
feels the heaviness of his words freeze the blood in his veins

  
& the calloused hands hidden behind his back tremble with the force of it

he never liked being the bearer of bad news

“ madame, i am very sorry, but ---- … ”

he never wished to make an innocent cry, but here he is ;   
watching his reflection swim in a childless mother’s shining eyes

& whilst leaving through the front door, it hits him :

the smell of saline water  
the caw of seagulls  
the jeers of sailors throwing up barrels

the song of shipbuilders as they hammer together replacement vehicles of war

& he watches as fathers carry the oak that will carry their sons to their deaths

& athos _feels_ it ----

the heaviness of a dawning actuality

they’re making a nice profit, from this war :

a gold coin earnt to pay for his wife’s new dress  
a gold coin earnt to pay for his daughter’s little shoes  
a gold coin earnt to pay for his soldier son’s respected blue coat

& there they are ----

“ look at rémi, look at his new uniform! ”

“ how you’ve grown, dear édouard ”

“ yves, I barely recognised you ”

the prodigal sons

& athos has trained them  
he has trained each & every one of them

a meagre few weeks in an overcrowded garrison  
filled with boys barely past boyhood

“ captain athos, sir! ”

& they bow  
they b o w

“ thank you for training my son, captain ”

“ we’re indebted to you, captain ”

& he has had his share of the shipbuilders’ profit :

a gold coin earnt to pay for another bottle of wine  
a gold coin earnt to trick another boy into thinking he is a man  
a gold coin earnt to send another child to his death

& athos **feels** it ----

warm, slick blood dripping from his fingers

**Author's Note:**

> idk what this is k ignore me


End file.
